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Spectron, a leading supplier of DSP-based software, is porting its real-time, multitasking, SPOX operating system to TI's TMS320C80.
The availability of a commercial operating system like SPOX will broaden the appeal of the TMS320C8x architecture to mainstream designers who use DSP technology. Capable of 2 billion operations per second, TI's flagship TMS320C80 DSP is well-suited for applications such as video conferencing, digital switching/networking and games/entertainment.
"The 'C80 offers the horsepower necessary to handle applications such as video encoding that were previously not possible with a single DSP," said Julie Gallagher, TI's 'C80 marketing manager. "Now the many designers who have experience with the industry-standard SPOX OS can tackle these advanced applications."
Bob Dolan, Spectron's vice president of marketing, said, "Our SPOX port marks the initial step of integrating the multiprocessor 'C80 into the Windows environment, and down the road our comprehensive WinSPOX software suite will be available for the 'C80."
With immediate availability of the kernel, SPOX is expected to quickly catch on with third-party TMS320C80 developers.
Precision Digital Images Corp., for example, plans to offer SPOX with its 'C80 Development Kit and its new ProMAXX series of boards that are optimized for imaging applications.
"The availability of SPOX for the 'C80 allows us to offer our OEM customers a mature, well-supported real-time environment which will simplify and accelerate their product development. Spectron has developed significant expertise in advanced DSP architectures, and we can pass that expertise along to our customers in the form of a stable development platform," said PDI President Wayne Smith.
Loughborough Sound Images also plans to offer SPOX with TMS320C80 products. "Spectron has a great track record supporting TI DSPs, and we are very happy that they are making SPOX available for the 'C80. We will offer SPOX on our MVP EVM, VME bus-based 'C80 board as well as on future 'C80-based products," said Simon Yates, company director.
An additional reason behind TI's endorsement of SPOX was the need for a robust multitasking kernel that can support the four DSPs integrated in the 'C80.
"The potential afforded by our multiprocessor 'C8x architecture requires a clear-cut method of distributing tasks among the DSPs and managing interprocessor communications. SPOX is already widely used in multiprocessor applications, and its multiprocessor capabilities are a perfect fit for the 'C80," said TI's Gallagher.
Spectron's port includes:
During the next six months, Spectron also will move its full SPOX environment to the 'C80 including a SPOX-aware front-end to TI's 'C80 debugger and libraries and development-host communications.
SPOX-KNL, including the Command Interpreter and DPP, costs $12,000 and is available now from Spectron. Other SPOX components will be made available for the 'C80 over the next six months.
For more information, contact Spectron Microsystems at (805) 968-5100.
SPOX and WinSPOX are trademarks of Spectron Microsystems. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
April 1995, vol. 11, no.1